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Bangkok hotels offer flood discounts, but there are also lots of options upcountry
You know things are bad when Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra advises residents of the city to move to other provinces.
With the Chao Phraya River swelling in the capital, Sukhum-bhand made the recommendation after the Cabinet made Thursday through Monday public holidays.
A lot of Bangkokians have already headed upcountry, with nearby Pattaya a common destination.
“There are many people from Bangkok here – you can tell from the car licence plates,” says Nanthinee Vongpuapan, who’s been in Pattaya since last Saturday.
But there’s no longer any bottled water or instant noodles on store shelves, she says.
For those preferring to abide in the capital, the Thai Hotels Association has listed 31 hotels in downtown Bangkok where flood victims can stay for between Bt600 and Bt1,200 a night.
The Rembrandt on Sukhumvit Soi 18, the Ibis on Sathorn Road and the Pinnacle in Lumpini district are among the places charging the bargain rate of Bt900.
Outside Bangkok, hotels in Chon Buri, Nakhon Nayok and Prachin Buri have discounts too, and the “Pattaya Grand Sale” page on Facebook offers long-stay rates. Rooms are filling up fast there due to its close proximity to the capital.
Beach cities have that extra (if ironically wet) allure, so Cha-am in Petchaburi and Hua Hin in Prachuab Khiri Khan are also welcoming more Bangkokians than usual. The Tourism Association for those centres is offering a blanket 50-per-cent discount on room rates.
Meanwhile it says cancelled seminars and other business meetings are costing the local economy about Bt100 million.
Further south, 11 hotels in Krabi are offering two-week stays for Bt1,500 and giving Bt500 of that to flood-relief operations, says Krabi Tourism Association president Ittirit Kingrek.
Their “Fellow Thais, Krabi Won’t Leave You Alone” campaign will continue tomorrow through November 10, with 700 rooms available.
In Chiang Mai, 75 hotels with 1,500 rooms are touting sizeable discounts.
You can stay at a three- or four-star inn for Bt800 per night or at a five-star place for Bt1,200.
